Hrithik Roshan's Zomato advertisement: Boycott Zomato started trending on Sunday after two priests of Ujjain's Mahakal temple demanded online food delivery firm should withdraw its advertisement featuring Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan. According to them, the advertisement offends Hindu sentiments. Hrithik is shown to have ordered food from 'Mahakal' as he felt like having a 'thali'. The priests said their prasad is given on a plate (thali) free of cost to the devotees and it is not something that can be ordered online through the food delivery app.
Hrithik Roshan's Zomato ad
In the ad titled 'Mann kiya, Zomato kiya', Roshan says he felt like having a "thali" (food platter) in Ujjain so he ordered from "Mahakal". For the unversed, the Mahakaleshwar or Mahakal temple of Shiva in Ujjain is one of twelve 'Jyotirlingas', which attracts devotees from across the country.
According to PTI, priests of the temple Mahesh and Ashish said Zomato should withdraw the advertisement immediately and tender an apology. Devotees are served 'prasad' on a thali and the ad hurts the feelings of Hindus, they claimed. They also approached Ujjain district collector Ashish Singh who is the chairman of the Mahakal temple trust and sought action against the company so that no one mocks the Hindu religion again, the priests said. Singh termed the ad as "misleading", saying that the temple offers free meals as 'prasad' and it is not sold.
"Ujjain, MP | Ad says 'bhook lage to call karo, 5 min mai mahakaal ki thaali ayegi'. They've mocked our faith & beliefs. Any other religion would've burnt them down, but we're peaceful. FIR must be filed in matter: M Sharma, Mahakaleshwar temple priest over zomato ad controversy," ANI reported.
ALSO READ: Amid 'Boycott Liger' trend, Vijay Deverakonda shares a cryptic tweet, saying 'we'll fight back'
Soon after this, 'Boycott Zomato' started trending on Twitter. A user wrote, "Zomato should have to think before while doing such kind of ad related to hindu religion in secular India." Another said, @Zomato, which serves non-veg, wants to run its business by ironing the Prasad Thali of the holy Mahakal temple of Hindus. Now. So wake up my Hindu brave brothers..And show Zomato and Hrithik Roshan their rightful place."
Zomato's response
In response to a tweet, Zomato clarified that the advert, ran in specific pin codes of Ujjain, referenced ‘thalis’ at ‘Mahakal Restaurant’, and not the revered Shree Mahakaleshwar Temple.
"Mahakal Restaurant is one of our high-order-volume restaurant partners in Ujjain, and thali is a recommended item on its menu‘ thalis’ at ‘Mahakal Restaurant’, and not the revered Shree Mahakaleshwar Temple," it added.
"Mahakal Restaurant is one of our high-order-volume restaurant partners in Ujjain, and thali is a recommended item on its menu. The video is part of a pan-India campaign for which we identified top local restaurants and their top dishes based on popularity in each city," it added.
ALSO READ: Viral video: Man casually walks on Delhi-metro track, public screams & whistles from below | WATCH
